Published 8:24 am, Monday, June 2, 2014

It's not happening, but apparently some gullible Californians think the actress is really running to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, a Democrat from the Los Angeles area.

Tuesday's primary election to replace Waxman has brought out a host of interesting candidates, ranging from failed mayoral hopefuls, to radio hosts, and even a prominent New Age guru. To test voter awareness, some jokesters decided to go out and add some fictional candidates to the mix.

"So how do you feel about Angelina Jolie deciding to pursue a career in politics?" an interviewer asks Los Angeles residents in a series of man-on-the-street-style interviews included in a video posted over the weekend.

The interviewer proceeds to ask about other fake celebrity candidates, including the man who pioneered the lie-based interview, late night comedian Jimmy Kimmel, and controversial L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling.

The video was posted on the YouTube channel of Crowdpac, a group that says it aims to promote voter awareness and has focused on the nonpartisan primary race to replace Waxman.

It isn't clear exactly how many Californians were gullible enough to believe Jolie, Kimmel, and Sterling are running. And, of course, with any viral video involving Kimmel and Hollywood, there is also the possibility these are actors instead of actual bystanders.

"People tell us they don't have enough reliable information about politics, and that's one of the problems with the political system that Crowdpac is trying to do something about. Our personalized voting guide uses campaign finance records to help people find the best match on their ballot, because our research shows that political donations are the best guide to what politicians would do if elected," Hilton said in a statement to Business Insider. "We love Jimmy Kimmel's Lie Witness News videos, and we wanted to make our own version to show, in a humorous way, the need for better voter information ... which definitely seems to be the case!"